Intebnal-combustion engine



Nov. 15, 1927.

1,649,004 J. E. WHITFIELD INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed June 18. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l M A T'TORNEYS.

Nov. 15, 1927.

J. E. WHITFIELD INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed June 8. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. z? or,

f ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 15, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH E. WHITFIELD, OF EAST PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF 'IO HENNING ALBERT JOHNSON, OF PITTSBURGH. PENNSYLVANIA.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Application filed June 18,

More particularly my present invention relates to internal combustion engines of the type wherein the cylinder, or each of the cylinders, is provided with a single sleeve Valve to which is imparted both a reciprocating and an oscillating movement.

My improved sleeve valve is arranged to move in the same direction with the piston during the reciprocation of the latter, but has only approximately one-half the stroke ot the piston, and the oscillating motion of the sleeve valve is so timed that no material oscillating motion thereof occurs during the compression and power strokes of the piston, while during the scavenging and intake strokes of the piston the valve is oscillated to bring the scavenging ports and the inlet ports respectively, into registration.

in the preferred embodiment of my invention the sleeve valve is provided with a double seal, as is also the piston, thereby preventing leakage of fuel from the firing chamber and theentrance of lubricating oil into the tiring chamber.

The sleeve valve is also water cooled both trom within and without, as is also the piston during half of its stroke, thereby preventing excessive heat.

The tiring chamber which extends into the cylinder and is surrounded by the sleeve valve is also water cooled.

The tiring chamber is of t'rustro-conical "nape, expanding inwardly towards the piston. and the spark plug is positioned axially of the firing chamber, thus assuring improved combustion.

Other novel features at construction, and al-io ct arrangement oi parts, will appear from the tollowing description.

in the accompanying drawings wherein I have illustrated the best embodimentot the principles of my invention now known to me. Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section taken on a vertical plane of a tour cylinder internal combustion engine of the four cycle type;

Fig. is a cross section of the same taken on the line HII in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line IIIIII in i g. 1, the position of the sleeve valve therein illustrated being such as assumed when the crank shatt is turned ninety degrees from its position shown in Fig. 1. and also showing the fuel and exhaust manifolds which 1926. Serial No. 116,765.

are omitted from Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a side elevation showing one of the sleeve valves; F 1g. 5 1s a graphic diagram showing the approximate path of movement of the sleeve valve; Figs. 6 and 7 are sectional views of the cylinder and its associated part-s, similar to Fig. 2 but showing modified forms, and Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of one of the cylinders showing the sleeve valve provided with a single port which is brought in turn in registration with the fuel inlet and exhaust ports.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, 1, 2, 3 and l represent the tour cylinders of a tour cycle internal combustion engine, said cylinders being shown cast en bloc.

It is of course evident that my invention may be applied to a single cylinder engine or one of any number of cylinders and that said cylinders may be cast as separate units it desired.

5 represents the crank case upon which said cylinders are superimposed in the usual manner, and 6 represents the usual water jacket surrounding the cylinders and connected with the usual water circulation system.

T represents the cylinder heads, which in the case of cylinders cast en bloc, may also he an integral casting for all of the cylinders. The head of each cylinder is provided with a portion 8 depending into the cylinder and provided with a threaded port 9 which is axially located and into which is screwed the spark plug 10 which thus extends axially into a tiring chamber 11 of trustro-conical shape expanding downwardly and formed in the extension 8 of the head 7. The water chamber 12 of the head surrounds the firing chamber 11, and 13 represents the water outlet, a suitable inlet being provided in the usual manner.

1% is a cylindrical sleeve valve which has a sliding fit within the cylinder wall and around the portion 8 of the cylinder head.

For convenience in construction the sleeve valve 14 is provided with a cylindrical liner 15 fixedly attached which extends down below the firing chamber 11, and 1G is an an nular space between the lower portion of the liner 15 and the sleeve valve 14 in which the skirt 17 of the inverted piston 18 has a sliding lit. 18 represents a packing ring or rings interposed between the piston and the liner.

The space 16 is of sufiicient length to prevent the skirt of the piston being withdrawn therefrom during the operation of the engine.

The piston 18 is connected by the connecting rod 19 to the crank 20 of the main crank shaft .21. Alongside of each crank 20 is a parallel crank 22 on the crank shaft 21, the crank 22 having approximately half the throw of the crank 20. 23 is a connecting rod attached to the crank 22 and having its other end provided with an elongated wrist pin 24: which rotates and slides in a central bearing hole 25 of a swivel block 26. The block 26 is mounted in a box frame 27 fixed to or cast integral with the lower end of the sleeve valve 14 and the upper and lower ends of the block 26 are provided with trunnions 28 which are journaled in bearing holes in said frame. Thus the block swivels on an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve valve. 29 is a. second crank shaft journaled parallel with the main crank shaft 21. and driven at one-half the speed of the crank shaft 21 as by means of the sprockets 30 and 31 and chain The shaft 2.9 is provided for each cylinder with a crank 33 and to each of said cranks is at tached a connecting rod 3% whose other end is pivotally connected as at to the corresponding connecting rod 23.

It is evident that the rotation of the shafts 21 and 29 results in reciprocating and oscillating the sleeve valve 1 1, the function of the connecting rod Selbeing to impart an intermittent oscillating movement of the sleeve valve, first in one direction and then in the other direction, the swiveling of the block 26 and the longitudinal movement of the wrist pin 24 in its bearing 25 permitting the sleeve valve to be oscillated without binding.

Inthe embodiment of my invention shown in Figs. 1 to 4t inclusive each of the cylinders is provided with one or more exhaust ports 36 leading from the upper portion of the firing chamber 11 through the water jackets and connected with the exhaust manifold 37 as shown in Fig. Also each of the cylinders is provided with one or more fuel intake ports 38 leading from the firing chamber 11 through the water jackets and connected to the fuel manifold 39.

Each of the sleeve valves 11 is provided with longitudinally elongated ports ll) and 41, the port 40 being arranged to be brought into registration with the exhaust port 36 of the cylinder by the proper oscillating movement of the sleeve valve, while the port 41 is likewise arranged to be brought into registration with the fuel inlet port 38 of the cylinder by a proper oscillation of the sleeve valve. The ports 40 and ll are apneaaooa proximately twice the length of the exhaust and inlet ports 86 and 38. The ports in the sleeve valve are equal in number to the exhaust port or ports and the intake port or ports of the cylinder.

The ports 36 and 38 are preferably diametrically opposed for convenient connection to the manifolds, While the ports 40 and 41 may be approximately ninety de grees apart.

The relative locations of the ports 36 and 38 and of the ports 40 and 11 are of course dependent on the length of the arc of the oscillating movement of the sleeve valve and may be varied accordingly.

The parts are assembled in such a manner that during the inward stroke ofthe sleeve valve which is simultaneous with the inward compression stroke of the piston and also during the outward stroke of the sleeve valve which is simultaneous with the outward firing stroke of the piston there is no material oscillating movement of the sleeve valve, while during the inward stroke of the sleeve valve which is simultaneous with the scavenging stroke of the piston the port 1-0 moves into and maintains registration with the exhaust port 36, and likewise dur iug the next outward stroke of the sleeve valve which is simultaneous with the out ward suction stroke of the piston the port ll of the sleeve valve is brought into and maintained in registration with the port 38 of the cylinder, such registrations being effected by a rapid oscillation of the sleeve valve at the beginning of the stroke of the same so that the full port area is effective during substantially the entire stroke.

The movement of the oscillating sleeve valve is graphically illustrated in Fig. 5 wherein the reference letters (20 at the upper and lower ends of the vertical dotted line indicate the top and bottom dead cen ters of the sleeve valve. The sleeve valve, whose movement is indicated by the arcuate line, is assumed to turn clockwise. The reference letter a indicates the point at which the intake port a-l of the sleeve valve begins to move into registration with the intake port 38 of the cylinder this point being approximately fifteen degi 1 top dead center, and as indicated. by the curvature of the arcuate line, the oscillating motion is rapid to bring said ports quickly into complete registration. Such registration is maintained substantially full until the sleeve valve passes bottom dead cenAr when. as the curvature of the line indicates. the ports begin to move out of registration and at the pointindic- "ed at Z). a iproximately lwvcntvseven degrees past bottom dead center. the port ll moves completely out of registration with the port 38, sealing the cylinder. The cylinder remains sealed during the 11%;; t inward movement of the sleeve to top dead ill] ldu

center, which is the compression stroke, and the sealed condition is maintained as the piston next moves outwardly, which is the power stroke, to the point indicated at (Z, approximately thirty-eight degrees before bottom dead center is reached, when the port of the sleeve valve begins to move into registration with the port 36 of the cylinder. This registration rapidly becomes complete as shown by the curvature of the line and is maintained substantially full during the inward stroke of the sleeve valve, which is the exhaust stroke, and as the sleeve valve reaches top dead center the port 40 begins to move rapidly out of registration with the port 36 as indicated by the curvature of the line and is completely sealed at the point marked 6, approximately seven degrees past top dead center. The cylinder remains sealed until the sleeve valve reaches approximately fifteen degrees past top dead center when the intake valve again begins to open as above described.

The valve setting may be varied and the points of opening and closing adjusted by changing the setting of the timing gears or the ratios of the connecting rods.

In a four cycle engine of four cylinders such as shown in the drawings the cycle of operations is substantially as illustrated in Fig. 3. Thus in the case of No. 1 cylinder the piston is on its firing stroke, the sleeve valve being turned into substantially its neutral position wherein both the ports 36 and 38 are sealed. In the case of No. 2 cylinder the piston is on its compression stroke and the sleeve valve is turned so that both the ports 36 and 38 are sealed. In the case of No. 3 cylinder the piston is on its scavenging or exhaust stroke and the sleeve valve has been turned to bring its port 4:0 in registry with the port 36 for the exhaust of the products of combustion. In the case of No. l cylinder the piston is 011 its suction or fuelintake stroke and the sleeve valve has been turned to bring the port all in registration with the intake port 38.

It is apparent that a double Seal is provided for the ports 36 and 38 when closed by the sleeve valve 14 working between the annular walls of the extension 8 of the cylimle r head and the interior wall of the cylinder, thereby preventing the escape of comprcssion from the firing chamber or the entrance of oil from the crank case into the tiring chamber. Likewise the skirt lT of the piston 18 is provided with a double seal bctween the liner l5 and the sleeve valve 14.

It is further evident that the sleeve valve and its liner are water cooled both from within and without. as is also the piston during the upper half of its path of movement.

It is further evident that the sleeve valve moves with the piston although at less speed,

thereby minimizing the friction and wear between the piston and the sleeve valve and decreasing the relative movement between the piston and the sleeve valve of the path of movment of the piston, and thereby reducing the friction and wear between the piston and the surface with which it is in sliding contact.

The fact that the sleeve valve is traveling in the same direction as is the piston during the oscillating movement of the former prevents the valve or the piston from losing its true cylindri-a1 shape from wear as would occur were the relative movement of the part simply longitudinal.

The complete water j acketing of the firing chamber prevents the overheating of its walls and greatly increases its efliciency because of the ability thus atforded to use high compression without preignition or overheating.

The osition and the frustro-conical shape of the iiring chamber 11 and the axial position of the spark plug relative to said firing chamber rcsult in better flame propagation and more complete fuel combustion.

In Fig. (5 I have shown the piston 18 reverted as in common practice, and moving entirely within the sleeve valve. In Fig. 7 I have shown the firing chamber formed by the interior of the sleeve valve, the sleeve valve being thus water cooled from without only and lacking the double seal. I prefer however the structure shown in the first four views of the drawings.

In Fig. 8 I show the sleeve valve lel provided with but a single valve port 42, the one port being used both for exhaust of the burned gases and for the admission of fuel, the sleeve valve being intermittently oscillated sufficiently to bring the port 42 into registration with either the cylinder exhaust port 36 or the cylinder fuel intake port 38, said ports being shown in Fig. 8 disposed forty-five degrees apart so as to reduce the arc of oscillation of the sleeve valve. It is evident that the ports 30 and 38 may be diametrically opposed, but this would require a longer arc of oscillating movement of the sleeve valve.

What I desire to claim is 1. In an internal con'ibustion engine, the combination with a cylinder provided with fuel-inlet and exhaust ports, a sleeve valve working in said cylinder to control the operation of said ports, a piston working in said sleeve valve, a main crank shaft and conncctions between said main crank shaft and said sleeve valve and piston to reciprocate them. of a second shaft. and crank connections be tween said second shaft and said sleeve valve to impart oscillating motion to the sleeve valve.

2. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a cylinder provided with fuel-inlet and exhaust ports, a sleeve valve working in said cylinder to control the operation of said ports, a piston working in said sleeve valve, a main crank shaft and connections between said niain crank shaft and said sleeve valve and piston to reciprocate them, of a second shalt rotated at half the speed of the main crank shaft, and crank connection between said second shaft and the sleeve valve to in'ipart oscillating motion to the sleeve valve.

3. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a cylinder provided with fuel-inlet and exhaust ports, a sleeve valve working in said cylinder to control the operation of said ports, a piston working in said sleeve valve, and a crank shaft, of a pair of throw cranks on said crank shalt disposed in parallelism, and connecting rods coupling said. crai'iks to said piston and said sleeve valve respectively.

4. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a c li .lcr provided with fuel-inlet and exhaus' ores, sleeve valve working in said cylinder to control the operation of said ports, a piston working in said sleeve valve and a crank shaft, of a pair of throw cranks on said. crank shalt disposed in parallelism, and connecting rods coupling said cranks to said piston and said sleeve valve respectively, the sleeve valve crank having less throw than the piston crank.

5. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a cylinder provided with tuel-inlet and exhaust ports, a sleeve valve working in said cylinder to control the op-- eration of said ports, a piston working in said sleeve valve and a crank shaft, of a pair of parallel throw cranks on said crank shaft, connectingrods coupling said cranks to said piston and said sleeve valve respec tively, and means for imparting oscillating movement to said sleeve valve.

6. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a cylinder provided with fuel-inlet and exhaust ports, a sleeve valve working in said cylinder to control the operation of said ports, a piston. working in said sleeve valve and a crank shalt, of a pair of parallel throw cranks on said crank shalt, connecting rods coupling said cranks to said piston and said sleeve valve respecmet s for intermittently llllillating movement to said sleeve T. In an internal combustion engine, the coinljiination with a cylinder provided with tnel-inlet and exhaust ports, a sleeve valve working in said cylinder to control the operation of said ports, a piston working in said sleeve valve and a. crank shaft, of a pair of parallel throw cranks on said crank shaft, connecting rods coupling said cranks to said piston and said sleeve valve respectively, a second shaft, and connections between said second shaft and said sleeve valve to impart oscillating movement to said sleeve valve.

8. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a cylinder provided with fuel-inlet and exhaust ports, a sleeve valve working in, said cylinder to control the operation of said ports, a piston working in said sleeve valve and a crank shaft, of apair of parallel throw cranks on shalt, connecting rods coupling said cranks to said piston and said sleeve valve respec tively, a second shaft, and connections between said .second shaft and said sleeve valve to impart an intermittent oscillating movement to said sleeve valve.

9. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a cylinder provided with fuel-inlet and exhaust ports, a sleeve valve working in said cylinder to control the operation of said ports, a piston working in said sleeve valve and a crank shalt, of a pair of parallel throw cranks on said crank shaft, connecting rods coupling said cranks to said piston and said sleeve valve respectively, a second shaft, and means connecting said second shalt to the connecting rod of said sleeve valve to impart oscillating movement to the latter.

10. in an internal combustion engine, the combination with a cylinder provided with said crank tuel-inlet and exhaust ports, a sleeve valve working in said cylinder to control the operation ol said ports, a piston working in said sleeve valve and a crank shaft, of a pair cl parallel throw cranks on said crank shaft, connecting rods coupling said cranks to said piston and said sleeve valve respectively, a second shaft. and crank connection between the second shaft and the connecting rod of the sleeve valve to impart oscillating movement to the sleeve valve.

11. in an internal combustion engine, the combination with a cylinder provided with fuel-inlet and exhaust ports, a sleeve valve working in said cylinder to control the operation of said ports, a piston working in said sleeve valve, and a crank shaft, of a pair oi parallel throw cranks on said crank shaft, connecting rods coupling said cranks to said piston and said sleeve valve respectively, a second shaft rotated at half the speed of the main crank shaft, and crank connection between the second shalt and the connecting rod of the sleeve valve to impart oscillating movement to the sleeve valve.

12. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a cylinder having fuel-ii let and exhaust ports, a ported sleeve valve working in the cylinder to control said ports, a piston working in said sleeve valve and a crank shalt, oi a pair of parallel cranks on said crank shaft, and connecting rods individually connecting said cranks with the sleeve valve and the piston whereby the piscrank shaft, of a pair of parallel. cranks on said crank shaft. connecting rods individually connecting said cranks with the sleeve valve and the piston, and means for intermittently oscillating the sleeve valve 3 during its longitudinal movement.

14. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a cylinder having fuelinlet and exhaust ports, a ported sleeve valve working in the cylinder to control said ports, a piston working in said sleeve valve and a crank shaft, of a pair of parallel cranks on said crank shaft, connecting rods individually connecting said cranks with the sleeve valve and the piston, the throw of the sleeve valve crank being less than the throw of the piston crank, and means for intermittently oscillating the sleeve valve during its longitudinal movement.

15. In an internal combustion engine. the combination with a cylinder having faelinlet and exhaust ports, a ported sleeve valve working in the cylinder to control said ports. a piston working in the sleeve valve and a main crank shaft, of parallel cranks on said shaft, a connecting rod coupling said sleeve valve to one of said cranks, a second connecting rod coupling the piston and the other of said cranks, a second shaft, and a connecting rod coupling said second shaft to the sleeve valve to impart oscillating movement to the sleeve valve.

16. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a cylinder having fuelinlet and exhaust ports, a ported sleeve valve working in the cylinder to control said ports. a piston working in the sleeve valve and a main crank shaft, of parallel cranks on said shaft, a connecting rod coupling said sleeve valve to one of said cranks, a second con necting rod coupling the piston and the other of said cranks, a second shaft, and a connecting rod coupling said second shaft to the sleeve valve to impart oscillating movement to the sleeve valve, said second shaft being rotated at half the speed of the main crank shaft.

17. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a. cylinder having fuelinlet and exhaust ports, a. ported sleeve valve working in the cylinder to control said ports, a piston working in the sleeve valve and a main crank shaft, of parallel cranks on said shaft, a coi'inccting rod coupling said sleeve valve to one of said cranks, a second connecting rod coupling the piston and the other of said cranks, a second shaft, and a connecting rod coupling said second shaft to the connecting rod of the sleeve valve to impart. oscillating movement to the sleeve valve.

l8. In an internal combustion engine having a cylinder. the combination of a sleeve valve working in said cylinder to control the fuel inlet and exhaust of said cylinder, an inverted piston working in said sleeve valve, means for reciprocating said sleeve valve and said piston simultaneously, and a double seal between the skirtof said piston and said sleeve valve.

19. In an internal combustion engine having a cylinder. the combination of a sleeve valve working in said cylinder and arranged by its reciprocation and oscillation to control the fuel inlet and exhaust of said cylinder, an inverted piston working in said sleeve valve, means for reciprocating said piston, means for reciprocating and oscillating said sleeve valve. and. a double seal between the skirt of said piston and the sleeve. valve.

20. In an internal combustion engine having a cylinder, the combination of a sleeve valve working in said cylinder to control the fuel inlet and exhaust of said cylinder, an inverted piston working in said sleeve valve, said sleeve valve being provided with an. an nnlar chamber in its walls wherein the skirt of said piston works, and means for reciproeating said sleeve valve and said piston.

21. In an internal combustion engine having a cylinder. the combination of av sleeve valve working in said cylinder and arranged by its reciprocation and oscillation to control the fuel inlet and exhaust of said cylinder, an inverted piston working in said sleeve valve, the sleeve valve being provided with an annular chamber in which the skirt of said piston works, means for reciprocating said piston, and means for reciprocating and oscillating said sleeve valve.

Signed at Pittsburgh, Pa., this 16th day of June, 1926.

JOSEPH F). WHITFIELD. 

